All hat, no oranges
Wednesday, Apr 24, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Another day, another job poacher…
Gov. Rick Scott sent letters to Illinois business owners this week, telling them to book a “one-way” ticket to Florida and set up shop in the Sunshine State.
In the letter, Scott touts Florida’s economic recovery, low taxes and shrinking state debt. He continues his “It’s working” theme by painting Florida as a state that has undergone an “incredible economic turnaround” under his watch. In contrast, Scott writes, Illinois is raising taxes and has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country.
“While Florida’s economic formula is working, we know Illinois’ formula of more taxing and more spending ISN’T WORKING,” Scott writes.
The letter, sent to 100 Illinois CEOs, is here.
* But…
Florida’s economic development organization planned to create a similar ad campaign [as New York’s], touting the state as “The Perfect Climate for Business.” Some saw the brand logo—which features an orange business tie—as sexist, and lawmakers have opted not to fund the advertising effort.
The Legislature is also cutting Scott’s “economic incentives” budget, reducing the amount of money the governor can use to draw businesses to Florida with tax breaks and grants.
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All hail the conquering reformer!
Wednesday, Apr 24, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I thought this was a rather odd story when I first saw a Bruce Rauner opposition research report a few weeks ago…
Last week, the Daily Herald ran an interesting piece about how Mr. Rauner improperly had claimed homestead exemptions on three separate residences. The law says you’re supposed to get the tax break on only one residence, but Mr. Rauner for several years declared it on a Winnetka home, and on a Chicago penthouse and a condo located in the same building. […]
“Englander said Thursday that the Winnetka address is currently Rauner’s primary residence,” the Herald reported.
However, since October 2008, Mr. Rauner’s legal voting residence has been at 340 E. Randolph St. in Chicago. And, according to Chicago Board of Elections spokesman Jim Allen, the law is clear: ‘You should register at your primary residence.” The courts have upheld that standard many times, he said.
So, where does Mr. Rauner live? In Chicago, where he votes, or in Winnetka, where he gets the tax break and where his wife, Diana Rauner, is registered to vote?
Mr. Rauner’s new spokesman, Mike Schrimpf, tries to blow off the whole matter as just a little unmeaningful detail.
“The Rauners have long owned a home in Winnetka, raised their children there and continue to cherish their ties to the community,” he said in a statement, “but Bruce also has worked in Chicago for years, spent a great deal of time there and been deeply involved in improving the city. Consequently, Bruce registered to vote there after purchasing an apartment in the city while Diana continues to vote in Winnetka.”
* The oppo was partially about his wife, so I took a pass. Maybe I shouldn’t have, because Greg Hinz kept digging and discovered something far more interesting…
I’ve heard of people doing almost anything to get their kid into Walter Payton College Prep High School. Whatever might work, I’m sure someone would try. […]
According to multiple sources at Chicago Public Schools, Mr. Rauner in 2008 picked up the phone and called Mr. Duncan on behalf of his daughter, who was trying to get into Payton. […]
As it turns out, in establishing residence in the city, Mr. Rauner also established the right of his daughter to attend a Chicago public school. But not just any school. She could have gone to New Trier, since mom still lived in Winnetka and New Trier is pretty highly rated itself. But Payton is rated better. […]
Moreover, another source with direct knowledge confirms that Ms. Rauner was not admitted to Payton via the normal best-score route, but by way of a supplemental, alternate procedure.
So, Rauner buys a condo in the city and establishes residency by registering to vote, falsely claims homestead exemptions on that condo and other homes, claims to the media that he bought the condo because he was “deeply involved in improving the city,” but conveniently fails to mention that he used the residence to help clout his kid into Payton.
* Look, I have no real problems with a parent doing all he legally can to get his kid into the best public school in the Chicago area. You gotta do what you gotta do.
What bugs me is that Rauner always talks about himself like he’s some outsider, just one of us, a regular guy in an inexpensive suit who really, truly believes that Illinois must be reformed. From Rauner’s Twitter feed…
Yep. He’s a reformer alright. Gonna clean up this state. As long as it’s everybody else who gets reformed.
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*** UPDATED x1 *** Report: Internet gaming out
Wednesday, Apr 24, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The Daily Racing Form reports that Arlington International has come to an agreement with the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association on a new contract. The most interesting aspect of the report…
Also helping move negotiations forward, multiple sources reported, was an agreement by Illinois state lawmakers to drop a controversial provision from a gaming-expansion bill expected to pass out of a Senate committee and go before the full Senate for a vote in coming weeks. To vocal protests from the ITHA and other Illinois horsemen’s groups, the gaming bill was amended this spring to permit tracks to operate online casinos without using profits to fund purses. The online gaming provision, sources say, is expected to be dropped entirely from the bill.
The tracks hate sharing money with horsemen, or with anybody else, for that matter. Dealing with those guys has always been the hardest part of any gaming expansion proposal.
So when the I-Gaming stuff was added to the latest bill, you just knew it would cause an explosion, even though the boat owners really, REALLY wanted in on the game. Plus, the governor opposes the entire provision, so it’s probably best that it be dumped.
*** UPDATE *** The Senate President’s office says he intends to file the I-Gaming legislation on a separate bill.
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Question of the day
Wednesday, Apr 24, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From a Tribune editorial…
State Rep. Jeanne Ives, freshman Republican from Wheaton, introduced two bills to infuse more sunlight into the negotiation process. One bill would require that the two sides negotiate in public. The other bill would require an Internet posting of the contract once the two sides strike an agreement.
We support those efforts. Unfortunately, her bills have little chance of getting to the House floor. One died in committee and the other got sent to House Rules, the graveyard for unpopular legislation. The unions have zealously defended the status quo. No public involvement until the ink is dry … and the lawyers work out the quirks, and they will take their sweet time, thank you very much.
* The Question: Should state union contracts be negotiated in public? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
panel management
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*** UPDATED x1 *** Something’s missing here
Wednesday, Apr 24, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sun-Times…
As a recent town hall meeting in his district quickly grew heated, state Rep. Jack Franks (D-Marengo) said for the first time in his political career he wished he had brought something with him — security.
Franks was talking pension reform, but one man opposed to same-sex marriage became particularly agitated.
“It was heated. For the first time, I felt, I really should have had security here,” Franks told the Chicago Sun-Times. “He got physically close, I probably asked him eight times to stop and felt he was being rude. We were in a public place. It was a little bizarre.”
Franks isn’t saying which way he’s going to vote on the issue, insisting he hasn’t decided and sees pension reform as his top issue.
In the last several weeks, behind-the-scenes pressure as well as public rancor over a same sex marriage bill still pending in the Illinois House has intensified. Picketers are coming out in force. Legislators have spoken to Cardinal Francis George personally on the phone.
One potential death threat — later deemed unfounded — was under investigation by the Illinois State Police and Mundelein police against Republican Ed Sullivan, a state representative who publicly disclosed his support for the bill.
I’m not sure why, but there was no mention of the criminal charges filed against a gay marriage proponent who allegedly threatened Rep. Jeanne Ives over this issue. That’s the real deal, not some perceived stuff. That’s not to discount what Reps. Franks and Sullivan went through by any means. But it just doesn’t rise to the level of what Ives had to deal with.
The reality is we’ve seen at least isolated craziness on both sides of this debate.
*** UPDATE *** Greg Hinz reports that he’s hearing the bill has between 55 and 57 of the 60 House votes it needs to pass…
Key lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, speaking on background, say they expect the bill to pass in the next month, sending it to the desk of Gov. Pat Quinn, who has promised to sign it. At least a few Republicans are aboard, with House GOP Leader Tom Cross publicly neutral but privately said to be helpful.
One swing representative, who asked not to be named, said he’ll vote yes, but won’t publicly declare himself until the end. “I may lose my seat,” that official told me. “I don’t care. I want to be on the right side of history.”
That’s similar to statements being made by Chicago Democrat Ken Dunkin, the head of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, who earlier this week announced his support for the bill, explaining, “I have always believed that discrimination is wrong, no matter whom it targets.”
Indeed, African-American lawmakers likely are the most key group on this issue right now, caught between traditional civil rights concerns and religious conservatives. The announcement from Mr. Dunkin, who represents the old Cabrini-Green area on the Near North Side, may move some others.
But probably the biggest thing working for the bill right now: the Madigans. That would be Attorney General Lisa Madigan, and House Speaker Michael Madigan, her father.
Perhaps with an eye on a race for governor, Ms. Madigan has begun picking up the phone in recent days to personally urge wavering lawmakers to vote for the bill, which already has passed the Senate. More significantly, Mr. Madigan, who a few weeks ago suggested the bill was a dozen votes short, recently has begun to get more active behind the scenes, I’m told.
I kinda doubt that Dunkin will move other black votes his way. But the AG might. And if the Speaker is moving, then that’s a very positive sign for the legislation.
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Sen. Trotter pleads to misdemeanor
Wednesday, Apr 24, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Nobody was hurt, nobody was ever in any danger, so felony charges were absurd. The Cook County courts have enough real criminals to deal with, so this was the right decision by the state’s attorney…
State Sen. Donne Trotter was sentenced to one year of court supervision Wednesday after he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor reckless conduct for trying to bring a gun onto an airplane at O’Hare Airport. […]
As part of the plea deal, Trotter has to perform 60 hours of community service. He also plans on talking about gun safety while serving his sentence, Trotter’s attorney, Thomas Durkin, said.
Durkin said the state’s attorney’s disposition to reduce the charge from a felony to a misdemeanor was “fair and appropriate.”
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Suntans and speed limits
Wednesday, Apr 24, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* This bill passed with just nine “No” votes…
Senate Republican leader Christine Radogno of Lemont shepherded to passage a bill that would ban people younger than 18 from using tanning beds in commercial tanning salons. A similar bill has passed the House, and Radogno predicted the legislation will make it to the governor. The bill would not affect tanning beds in private residences.
* And there was no debate…
Sponsoring Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno, R-Lemont, said she wasn’t necessarily surprised that senators didn’t debate the bill before voting on it.
“There really has been very little opposition,” she said. […]
“Skin cancer is a huge issue,” Radogno said. “The incidence of skin cancer when you first have used ultraviolet tanning before age 18 rises dramatically. This should be a no-brainer. It is a Class One carcinogen, and protecting kids from that makes perfect sense.”
Radogno also noted that more and more municipalities are enacting local ordinances to ban minors from tanning salons. Springfield passed a ban in September despite concerns raised by some that minors could simply go to tanning salons outside the city limits.
* More…
Current law requires teenagers to receive parental consent to use a tanning booth.
State Sen. Matt Murphy, a Palatine Republican, said he voted for the ban because parental consent was not being properly enforced.
“We have had de facto license for 14 to 17 year olds to go in there without parental consent the way it’s been applied,” Murphy said. “Let’s make a clean break. It’s not being monitored the way it is, and I think parents would like a little bit of help making sure their kids stay safe with this.”
Among the dissenters was state Sen. Tom Cullerton, a Villa Park Democrat, who said he supported the current system of allowing teenagers to tan provided they had parental consent.
* Meanwhile…
Illinois motorists would be able to legally drive 70 mph on interstate highways and tollways under legislation the Senate passed Tuesday.
The measure would allow Cook County, the suburban collar counties and two counties near St. Louis to opt out in areas where local officials did not think the higher speed would be appropriate. The current top speed on Illinois interstates is 65 mph.
Sponsoring Sen. Jim Oberweis, R-Sugar Grove, said the change would bring Illinois in line with the more than 30 states that allow drivers to go 70 or 75 mph. Oberweis said the higher speed would allow commerce to move faster, but the freshman lawmaker took some friendly razzing from colleagues who suggested he had self-interest in mind.
* Roundup…
* Illinois nets almost $6 billion more in taxes in 2012: But state Sen. Dan Kotowski, a Park Ridge Democrat, said the temporary income tax rate hike along with some policy shifts have made the state more fiscally responsible. He cited new spending rules, performance-based funding and other reforms as ways the state has worked to eliminate its deficit.
* Editorial: With reform essential, state lawmakers must stop wasting time
* In case you weren’t already going 70 mph: Illinois senate approves speed limit increase
* Senate sponsor seeks gun bill compromise
* Vite: Illinois doesn’t need barriers to biosimilar drugs
* Rosenthal: Perry tries to rustle Illinois business
* More money from clout-heavy Hispanic group UNO went to insider
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Adlai: Junk state personnel laws
Wednesday, Apr 24, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Adlai Stevenson III has penned an op-ed about reforming Illinois. Most of the usual stuff was in there, revamping the remap process, cutting the number of local governments, consolidating school districts, shortening the campaign season, etc. But this one was a surprise…
The Illinois personnel code might be re-examined. It goes against the grain of conventional wisdom, but when I was state treasurer, I could hire and fire at will. It was a good old fashioned patronage office - and I was able to quadruple the return on the investment of state funds while cutting the budget every year.
That was also before state collective bargaining laws. Back then, you could join a union, but there was no contract.
Thoughts?
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* From WILY radio…
As members of the State Senate Executive Appointments Committee prepare to decide whether to support Gov. Pat Quinn’s reappointment of Department of Corrections Director S.A. “Tony” Godinez, this picture was sent to our news department.
The picture shows an IDOC inmate transport bus parked Friday afternoon, outside Club Coyote, a “gentlemen’s club” on U.S. Highway 51 in De Soto that features exotic dancers and serves alcohol.
* I also received this photo from several people. There has obviously been a concerted effort by opponents of Director Godinez to get this photo out, including by former Illinois prison warden Andrew Ott, a sworn Godinez enemy.
Here’s the photo, which I’ve cropped down to an easier-to-view size. The full photo is here…
* The Department of Corrections says they investigated the photo, including viewing video from the club’s surveillance camera. The agency determined that the bus driver used the parking lot to turn around after missing a turn. IDOC says the the incident occurred at 8:30 in the morning. I called the club at 10:40 this morning and got an answering machine.
So, once again, it looks like there’s no there there and that Godinez’s opponents are going way over the top in their attempt to discredit him.
*** UPDATE *** AP…
An Illinois prison-monitoring group says Menard Correctional Center inmates reported concern about “aggressive cellmates” during a visit shortly before a string of three inmate murders since January.
The John Howard Association visited the prison in far southern Illinois in December. Its report, released late Tuesday, said several older inmates were worried about cellmates. And the independent watchdog said housing inmates with long sentences with those facing shorter stretches “can be problematic.”
The study is here. It also noted this…
Staffing at Menard has been inadequate for many years. Influx of staff from other southern facilities closures should somewhat improve conditions.
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Todays maps and charts
Wednesday, Apr 24, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From a COGFA report on the Illinois economy. Click the pics for a larger view. Unemployment by counties…
* Unemployment is up…
* Illinois exports have slowed, at least partly due to the growing European recession…
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HGOPs take old bills on new road show
Wednesday, Apr 24, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* House Republicans went to Normal yesterday to unveil a welfare reform plan…
Illinois Republicans are proposing a welfare reform package that they say could save the state millions of dollars. […]
“There are folks that definitely do need help, whether that’s in welfare or Medicaid,” said [House GOP Leader Tom Cross]. “We want to be there to make sure we have a system that is viable and can sustain itself but that is not abused.”
Another portion of the plan, under House Bill 2784, would prevent Temporary Assistance for Needy Families benefits (TANF) from being used for alcohol, lottery tickets and firearms.
“It’s even been reported that these benefits are being used for tattoos and body piercings,” Roth said. “We’re all about helping people that need help but we want to see these dollars put to good use.”
The final portion of the package would prevent criminals already in jail from receiving public aid.
* They also traveled to Decatur, where they admitted that the plan has no chance of passage…
The fate of the plan is bleak, though, with all four bills currently assigned to the House Rules Committee, where many bills are sent to die.
Additionally, no Democrats currently sponsor the legislation, which does not bode well for passage in the Democrat-controlled House or Senate.
Cross, who has not yet spoken to House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, about the proposal, said he talked to some Democrats about supporting the plan and sees no reason why the plan cannot be passed in a bipartisan fashion.
“These ideas should be bipartisan, and they should be receiving support from our friends on the other side of the aisle,” he said.
The bills are in Rules because the 3rd Reading deadline was last Friday. One of their bills, HB2784, lost in subcommittee on a partisan roll call. Another, HB3174, was voted down 7-5 in the Human Services Committee back in March. HB2490 and HB 133 were never moved for a vote in committee.
Ergo, out of town press conferences where local reporters probably wouldn’t know how to check bill status updates.
* From the House GOP press release…
* House Bill 2784 guarantees that cash assistance benefits are used for the basic needs for which they are intended. TANF benefits are intended to provide financial assistance to help pay for basic needs such as food, shelter, utilities, and other necessary expenses, however under current law a person is free to spend this cash however they feel. The legislation would prevent TANF benefits from being used to purchase alcohol, lottery tickets, firearms, and other specified goods and services.
* House Bill 3174 and House Bill 2490 would prevent criminals from receiving aid. These bills would suspend public aid and benefits to inmates at State correctional facilities and recipients with outstanding warrants.
* House Bill 133 ensures that a person using a LINK card is the authorized user. The proposal would require all LINK cards to display a photo of the cardholder to ensure that the person presenting it at the checkout counter is the same person who is entitled to use it. The names of all secondary users will also be placed on the card. Secondary users will be required to show a valid photo id before they can use the card.
* From HB 2784’s synopsis…
Amends the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that no person shall knowingly use or accept cash assistance benefits provided under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program for the purchase or sale of certain services or products, including alcoholic beverages, lottery tickets, firearms or firearms ammunition, admission to any performance, gambling games, and rental goods.
I’m not sure how they’re supposed to track that. Seems like a press release bill to me. Also, cash assistance was a national GOP idea. The prison idea seems like a good one. But we’ve already extensively discussed the problems with the LINK ID proposals.
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This just in…
Wednesday, Apr 24, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Ugh…
Five people are dead and one injured in a shooting in the Village of Manchester, Illinois, according to Mayor Ronald Drake.
WLDS told NewsChannel 5 a suspect is in custody.
The Scott County Sheriff’s Department said a child was taken to a Springfield, Illinois hospital.
The pastor of Manchester Baptist Church told NewsChannel 5 that the murders happened inside a public housing complex on East Street Wednesday morning.
Multiple schools are on lockdown. The Jacksonville School District 117 secretary to Superintendent Steve Ptacek said the school is closed in response to a recent shootout with a suspect on Woodson Winchester Road. North Greene Unit School District #3 is closed and WLDS Radio reports Winchester schools are closed.
Manchester is about 85 miles north of St. Louis.
* More…
Mayor Drake said the attack took place in a home on 4th Street. Drake says the suspect fled and was caught near Winchester about 12 miles from Manchester.
The mayor said he has no idea what led to it.
“Not that I know of. This is a nice little town and I have no problems with anybody. What took place, I cannot tell you,” he said.
Illinois State Police are not yet releasing the names and ages of those involved. Drake said the survivor is in stable condition.
* More…
Keep your political thoughts out of comments, please.
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